


Dreaming With You

by tabbytabbytabby



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Scott, Angst, Awesome Melissa McCall, Dream Sharing, Dreams and Nightmares, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Good Theo Raeken, Love Confessions, M/M, Mates, Post-Canon, Sad, Sad Ending, Suicide, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 16:43:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15247515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tabbytabbytabby/pseuds/tabbytabbytabby
Summary: Nightmares are real. Theo believes that. He has a harder time believing in dreams. At least until he starts dreaming of Scott. Even then he thinks it's just a product of his imagination. He never expects it to be real. Except it is. Unfortunately for Theo, his nightmares have a way of coming back to haunt him, no matter how happy he is.





	Dreaming With You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LovelyLittleGrim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelyLittleGrim/gifts).



> Here I am, once again gifting pain and softness to Amanda. But for once I was able to keep most of the plot of this to myself and not tell her.  
> Ttitle and inspiration for part of the fic comes from [Dreaming of You](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R9fSfnxSN0) by Selena

_Now I'm dreaming with you tonight_  
_'Til tomorrow and for all of our lives_  
_And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be_  
_Than here in my room dreaming with you endlessly_

All nightmares are real. At one point or another at least. Maybe not the severity or the complete portrayal of them. But they’re all real. Theo believes that. And it’s both a terrifying thought and a reassuring one. He knows it’s probably crazy to think of nightmares being real as reassuring. Who wants that? But if something is real he can face it. He can beat it. It’s the unreal, the part that’s just in his head that’s harder to get over. Because how can he possibly win against his own mind. He’ll take the reality any day. Or so he thinks.

It would make sense for Theo to believe that since nightmares are real then so are dreams. But he has a harder time with that one. Dreams are trickier. They can show you good things, things you want or you desire and lead you to hope only to not be real. The false hope of dreams can be a painful thing. But he still loves the ones he has. Especially when it comes to a certain alpha.

When he first started dreaming about Scott he was confused. The two were still on shaky ground. He thought maybe it was his mind’s way of telling him he needed to work harder to fix things with the alpha. But Scott had been away at school. The two talked but not often enough for it to matter. It was just Scott checking in from time to time or asking him for something. So the first dream throws him.

In the dream he was in a tiny room. Scott was on his bed, his eyes closed as if he was sleeping. His eyes opened as if he could sense Theo’s presence. The weird thing was Scott looked just as surprised to see Theo as Theo was to see him. Then Scott had smiled at him, “Of course I’d dream of you.”

He’d then pulled Theo down onto his small bed and wrapped himself around Theo muttering something about wanting to keep him safe. Theo had woken up confused but better rested than he had in a while.

After that it keeps happening. He doesn’t think anything of it. Sometimes he’ll be in what he now knows as Scott’s dorm or sometimes in his own room at the McCall house where he’s been staying. He tells himself it’s just a dream. What else could it possibly be? Sure, it’s weird to dream about Scott all the time and have nothing really happening in the dreams except for cuddling and sometimes talking about random things. But it’s nice. Theo isn’t about to question it.

It’s not until he’s talking to Scott on the phone one night that he realizes something is off. Just before Scott gets off the phone he says, “Good night. I’ll see you soon. Hopefully in your bed this time, it’s bigger.”

Then he hangs up.

Theo stares at the phone, his mind racing as he works over what Scott had just said. The see you soon isn’t all that weird. Scott is due back in two days anyway for his summer break. But the part about meeting in his bed because it’s bigger? That makes no sense. Unless…

_Nightmares are real, why can’t dreams be?_

But no, that’s not possible. If it was that would mean that while he’s been dreaming about Scott for months that he’s really been talking to him. And some of the things he’s said…

He hasn’t necessarily said anything bad but he’s talked about a lot of things he’s usually too afraid to say out loud, especially concerning Tara and his guilt about her and what he did to the pack. He’s bared his soul in a way to this dream Scott. Sure, sometimes he’s wished it was real because then he’d have Scott’s forgiveness. He’d have Scott holding him and looking at him with such open affection and love.

Theo shakes his head. No way. It can’t be real. But things start sliding into place. Scott has been talking to him differently when they talk on the phone. Before tonight he’s never straight up mentioned the dreams but now that he thinks about it there have been little comments that Theo has just brushed off. And he has been calling him more and more just to talk to him. Even facetiming him.

Theo makes himself stay awake that night. He knows it’s stupid, and that he’s probably overreacting a bit but he can't do it. He can’t go back into the dream yet. He can’t face dream Scott knowing that there’s the slightest chance that it’s real Scott. So he doesn’t sleep. It’s fine. He’s used to having to pull all-nighters. It’s not like he ever got much sleep in his truck. At least now he can be comfortable. He just puts something on Netflix and binge watches it before making his way downstairs and deciding he could at least make breakfast for Melissa if he’s not sleeping.

“Something smells delicious,” Melissa says, walking into the room. She has her fuzzy pajama pants, a too big t-shirt and her robe on, as well as a pair of wolf slippers that Theo had gotten her for Christmas.

She makes her way over to the coffee, which Theo had started as soon as he got downstairs. He might not drink it but he knows Melissa does. She pours herself a cup and takes a sip, “God this is what I needed. You are a wonder Theo.”

Theo just smiles and shakes his head, “Food’s almost done.”

“I’ll go get the paper,” She tells him, placing a kiss to his cheek as she walks by. “Thanks kid.”

Theo feels a warmth spread through him at her open affection. It had been a rocky start with them, which is understandable given everything that happened, but they eventually came to an understanding.

It was her idea for him to move in with her. She’d found out that he was sleeping in his truck and was furious. Theo remembers the glares she’d given the pack as she’d confronted them about it. They’d just looked surprised, and even a little guilty. The guiltiest looking of the two being Scott and Liam.

Since then, Theo has done what he can to keep his head down. He works part time at the Sheriff’s station filing and doing anything else John needs him to do and when he’s not working he’s making sure the house is in order. Melissa works hard enough as it is. Making sure the house stays clean and organized and that there’s food in the cabinets and fridge is the least he can do for her.

He remembers the look dream Scott had given him when he’d first told him he’d gone shopping and cleaned the house. He’d told him he wanted to look out for his Mom while he was away so he wouldn’t have to worry as much. He should have known then it wasn’t just a dream. The look of awe and wonder on Scott’s face was too real for it to be just a dream. But he’d let it slide.

Now here he is, sleep deprived because he’s too afraid to face the man he’s come to care for over the past 8 months, maybe even before then. At some point he does fall asleep. It’s around noon and his body is screaming at him. He winds up in Scott’s empty room. He’s not there. Not that Theo expected him to be. If this was a dream Scott would be waiting for him, but he’s not.

Theo sighs and sits on the bed, his eyes trailing around the room. He picks up the book Scott has on his bedside table and examines it. It’s Outlander. Theo remembers mentioning it to him on the phone a few days before, talking about how he’d been reading the books during the shows hiatus. Scott had sounded interested but Theo was sure that would be it. Scott had school to worry about. He didn’t have time to dive into such a lengthy book series. But apparently he had.

Theo flips through the pages, finding different sections marked with post it notes and smiles as he reads through Scott’s little thoughts while reading. Most of them are things like “tell Theo...” or “ask Theo…”

Theo sighs and puts the book down. He doesn’t want to read all of the notes yet. Especially when this is all making him more and more unsure about whether the dreams are real or not. How can he be in Scott’s room? Is it just a replica? Is he allowed to leave the room?

Theo goes to the door and grabs the knob and turns, finding that it easily swings open. He finds himself in the hallway to Scott’s dorm. He walks down the hall and then down the stairs. He doesn’t have any idea where he’s going but he trusts his feet to lead him where he needs to go.

Sure enough after a few minutes of walking he spots Scott. He’s standing under a tree talking to a group of people around his age. He has a bag slung over his shoulder and a hoodie and jeans on. He watches as Scott frowns suddenly and looks around. His eyes hover for a second where Theo is before he turns away, shaking his head. He can’t see him then.

 _Because he’s not asleep_ , he thinks _, and you are._

He has to wonder how he’s here then. How can he be sleeping and at Scott’s school watching him? Maybe he really is dreaming by now. But it would be a weird thing to dream about. Especially since there seems to be an incessant ringing inside the dream. It sounds like a phone. Is someone’s phone ringing? He frowns when he looks over and sees Scott with his phone to his ear. The ringing stops and Scott shakes his head, dropping the phone from his ear.

Before Theo can wonder about it his surroundings and blurring and then he finds himself blinking his eyes open, suddenly in his room at the McCall house. He picks up his phone to check the time and sees that he has a missed call from Scott. It’s the time of the call that gives him pause. 1:30 p.m. Not even a minute ago. Around the same time the Scott from his head was making a call. There is no voicemail.

Theo makes his way into the bathroom and takes a quick shower before deciding he might as well get ready for work. He still has another couple hours but he figures he can also stop and grab John a late lunch if he needs to. The man isn’t the best about making sure he eats right. He found that out pretty quickly.

The rest of the day passes in a sea of menial tasks. He files papers, answers phones, gets coffee for the deputies. Everything he usually does. At one point John calls him into the office to ask him for his input on a case and whether he thinks it could be related to anything supernatural, or if it’s really an animal attack. After reading through the file, examining the body, and then the crime scene with John and Parrish they’re able to conclude that it really was just an animal attack. Which they are all grateful for. The last thing they need is another supernatural crisis in town.

Theo tries to make himself stay awake again that night but he can’t. His nap apparently did little to help with his exhaustion, and he finds himself drifting off around 10 that night. He’s alone at first, once again in Scott’s room. Scott isn’t with him yet which means he’s probably still awake studying. It doesn’t make sense for him not to be able to see him if he’s actually in the room when he could earlier. Though he supposes he’d actually gone looking for him then. He isn’t looking now, just waiting.

“You’re here,” Scott’s voice sounds from the bed, causing Theo to jump.

He spins towards the bed, “I am.”

“You weren’t here last night, I was worried.” Scott tells him, his eyes tracking Theo’s movements as he walks slowly towards the bed. “I was afraid you wouldn’t be here tonight either.”

“I hadn’t planned to,” Theo stays a few feet away from the bed, just out of reach. This is confirmation enough that this whole thing has been real.

Scott frowns, sitting up in the bed, “What’s wrong?”

“How long have you known?” Theo asks, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

“What are you…?”

“How long have you known this was real?” Theo needs to be certain, “Have you always known?”

Scott shakes his head, “No, at first I thought it was just a dream. It took me a week or so and then I realized it was real. I mentioned something on the phone and then again that night when you came to me and you just said that I should know but you told me anyway. I figured you knew. But you didn’t, did you?”

Theo shakes his head, “No, not until last night on the phone.”

“Theo…” Scott tries to reach out for him but Theo takes a step back. Scott sighs and runs a hand down his face. “What’s upsetting you? You always seemed comfortable here before and I want you to be again. Or… is it what you’ve told me? Do you not want me to know those things?”

“I don’t know,” Theo whispers. He takes a hesitant step forward, then another. “I want you to know. I told you here because I wasn’t sure how to say the words out loud.” Theo laughs at that. “Except apparently I have been all along. And you forgave me.”

Scott smiles, “I forgave you long before the dreams started Theo. I thought you knew that.”

Theo shakes his head, “No. I hoped you had but I was too afraid to ask. I’ve always felt on shaky ground where you’re concerned. Except…”

“What?”

“Except while we’re here,” Theo’s at the edge of the bed now. He looks down at Scott, unsure what he should do or how he should be feeling. “I always felt safe here.”

“Do you not anymore?” Scott asks, looking almost afraid of the answer.

It’s then Theo realizes that maybe Theo’s not alone in all of this. He’s been wanting this dream Scott to be real and he is. But the thing is, he’s the same Scott. He always has been, Theo’s just been too afraid to let himself realize it. He always considered the dream to be his safety net, now he’s realizing that it’s not necessarily the dream but Scott himself.

“I always feel safe with you,” Theo whispers, fighting the urge to reach out and touch him.

“Theo…” Scott whispers, then his hand is on Theo’s arm, soft, almost hesitant. Like he’s afraid Theo will push him away. “Will you come here? Please?”

Theo lets Scott pull him down onto the bed. They sit there, facing each other. Theo is surprised to see Scott’s eyes are wet. “Did I say something wrong?”

Scott shakes his head, giving a wet laugh. “Of course not. I want you to feel safe with me Theo. I want you to feel like you can talk to me, not just here but out there as well. The way we feel in here doesn’t have to end here. It _is_ real. At least to me.”

“And how do you feel?” Theo asks, his hand comes up to his chest when he feels his heart start beating rapidly.

Scott smiles and covers Theo’s hand with his own, before taking Theo’s other hand and bringing it to his own heart, “I feel safe with you too. I trust you. I… love you Theo. And you can bet your ass I’m going to tell you that when we see each other tomorrow. And then…”

“What?”

“Then I’m finally going to kiss you, if you’ll let me,” Scott says, his face hopeful.

“I will,” Theo tells him, “but you know you could kiss me now?”

Scott shakes his head, “No. I want the first time I kiss you to be when we’re not in here. So there will be no question whether it’s real or not.”

Theo nods, “I can live with that.”

“Now come here,” Scott maneuvers them until he’s on his back and Theo is curled up against his side, their limbs tangled together.

Theo sighs and noses at Scott’s neck, pleased when the alpha moves his head back, baring his throat. Theo continues to nuzzle into his throat, while Scott’s arms tighten around Theo’s waist. He knows they’re in a dream, but it's still real. The fact that Scott would so easily allow Theo this says a lot. “You do trust me,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against Scott’s skin causing him to shiver.

“I do,” Scott sighs, moving a hand up to Theo’s hair. His fingers work gently through his locks and every so often his nails will rake across his scalp.

“Thank you,” Theo whispers.

“Go to sleep Theo,” Scott mumbles.

“It’s still weird how we can sleep in here when we’re sleeping out there,” Theo says.

“Don’t think too much on it,” Scott says. “It’s probably far too complicated for us to understand.”

“Right,” Theo says, “But we don’t _need_ to sleep in here. Even when we stay up talking we’re usually well rested the next day.”

“True,” Scott says, placing a kiss to the top of Theo’s head. “I just want to sleep with you in my arms.”

“You can tomorrow,” Theo tells him, “for real this time.”

“I look forward to it,” Scott says, sighing and pulling Theo closer to him.

***

Theo can’t help but be nervous as he waits for Scott to get home. He attempts to help Melissa with lunch but after he sends the mayonnaise flying across the room when her phone goes off she shoos him away to the living room. He tries sitting on the couch and watching TV but can’t focus. His legs bounce in front of him as he watches the clock. He finally has to get up and winds up pacing the room.

Finally, Melissa walks in and sighs, grabbing Theo by the shoulders and forcing him to stop. “You need to relax Theo. You’re making me anxious with all this pacing. It’s not like this is the first time Scott’s come home from college.”

“It’s different,” Theo says.

Melissa frowns, “How so?”

“It’s just...” Theo groans and runs a hand through his hair. “It just is. It’s… bigger.”

He can’t admit that part of him is still afraid last night wasn’t real, that it was all in his head. He needs to see Scott and be sure. And if it is real…

“God that smile,” Melissa laughs, poking at his cheeks. “So that’s what this is about, huh? You two are finally going to work this out?”

“I hope so,” Theo says.

His eyes move towards the door when he hears the familiar sound of Stiles’ jeep pulling up outside the house. Melissa smiles at him and releases his shoulders, taking a step away as they both face the door. It opens a moment later and Scott walks in, closing the door behind him. He smiles at them as he sets his bag asides, accepting the hug Melissa gives him.

She steps away and pats his cheek, “I’ll finish lunch.”

She winks at Theo before walking away. He hears Scott laugh and turns to him to see him stepping slowly towards Theo, “She’s not subtle.”

“Not at all,” Theo says, his lips moving up into a smile.

Scott own answering smile is blinding as he stops in front of Theo. He reaches out and Theo feels his breath catch in anticipation and Scott’s hands move around his waist and pull him in for a hug. One of Theo’s hands fist in his shirt while the other moves up to the back of Scott’s head, letting his fingers tangle through the thick hair there.

“It’s as soft as I imagined it would be,” he whispers.

“What else have you imagined?” Scott asks, his own voice quiet.

Theo’s eyes move across his face, searching for the answer. He needs to know. “It’s real?”

“It’s real Theo,” Scott tells him. “All of it.”

Theo nods, “Can I…?”

“Please,” Scott breathes.

Theo doesn’t waste another moment. He leans in and kisses Scott, soft and slow and oh so perfect. His mind is screaming at him that this is real. He has Scott here, in his arms. His lips moving softly against his own.

When they pull back, Scott smiles, resting his forehead against Theo’s. “Hey you.”

Theo smiles back, wide and happy. “Hey.”

Then they’re kissing again, smile pressed against smile. “I love you, you know?” Theo murmurs against his lips.

“I know,” Scott says, his eyes shining with happiness. “But it’s still nice to hear it. And I love you.”

“You two are adorable,” Melissa says, breaking them out of their little bubble. “Which isn’t anything I thought I’d ever say. But here we are. Now come on lovebirds, lunch is ready.”

“You hungry?” Scott asks, running his nose along Theo’s neck.

“Yeah I could eat,” Theo says. “I didn’t eat breakfast.”

“Me either,” Scott says. “I was too nervous.”

“So I was I,” Theo admits. “I think I drove your mom crazy with my pacing.”

Scott smiles down at him, “Oh yeah?”

“And his throwing of the mayonnaise,” Melissa calls from the kitchen.

Scott raises an eyebrow, “You threw mayonnaise at my mom?”

“No!” Theo says, “No of course not. It wasn’t _at_ her. I just… her phone rang and then I jumped and sent the mayo flying into the wall.”

Scott’s lips twitch up into a smile, “You’re adorable.”

Theo wants to argue that he’s not but he knows there’s no point. And if being adorable means having Scott look at him like this, with such open affection, then he’ll take it.

***

“So do you know why this happens?” Theo asks Scott later that night when they’re curled up together in his bed.

“I think so,” Scott says. “I talked to Deaton after it started happening and I realized it was really you. He said we’re connected more than we could ever know. He thinks it’s been there for a long time but we never really noticed before. It wasn’t until I left and we were separated that the dreams started. It was our minds way of making it easier for us to be apart.”

“Do you think that they’ll stop now that we’re together?” Theo asks, his hand trailing down Scott’s chest.

“Do you want them to?” Scott asks, his voice quiet and careful.

“No,” Theo says. “I like them. It’s… I love having you here and I’d much rather be with you in person but the dreams feel special. They’re just for us.”

“Yeah, I like them to,” Scott tells him.

“What did he mean by connected though?” Theo asks him. He has an idea, but he needs to be sure.

Scott looks at him, bringing a hand up to his cheek as he smiles softly at him. “It means you’re my mate. And I’m yours.”

Theo kisses him, a firm press of lips saying all the things he can’t find words for. Though he tries when they pull back. “I’m yours.”

“You are,” Scott says, brushing their noses together. “And I’m yours. Always. If you want me.”

“I do,” Theo says, grabbing Scott’s hand and bringing it up to rest over his heart. “Always. Forever. If you want me.”

Scott grabs Theo’s hand and brings it up to rest over his heart, allowing Theo to feel the steady rhythm underneath his palm. “I’ll always want you Theo.”

The dreams don’t really change after that, not really. Theo expects them to happen less frequently now that they're together but they don't. He's just happy to have Scott here with him, to be surrounded by his scent and warmth and the safety that oozes off of him, no matter where they are. One thing they quickly figure out is since they’re together now the dreams are definitely more _real._ All it takes is Theo waking up on top of Scott, both of them dripping sweat and reeking of sex to realize that what they do in their dreams can happen out of them as well.

Scott just smiles and licks a stripe up Theo’s neck, “At least I can taste you.”

Theo rolls his eyes fondly, “Hmm but you can do that without the dream.”

Scott gives him a cheeky grin, his hands moving to grab Theo’s ass. “Is that right?”

So some things Theo definitely prefer to happen outside the dream.

Sometimes when they dream lately they aren’t in their room at all. It doesn’t take long to figure out they can change their surroundings now that they know more about it. The first time they do it Scott takes them to a cliff overlooking the ocean as the sun sets on the horizon. Theo can’t even be bothered to care that it’s a little over the top and cheesy. He loves it all the same. Especially when Scott turns to him with that smile of his that Theo has come to know as _his_ smile.

It’s one of those nights, where they’re out laying under the stars that Theo has to ask something that’s been weighing on this mind these past few months since they got together, “Did you ever see my dreams before? I know we started being together in them after you left but…”

Scott tenses behind him, his hands flexing over Theo’s stomach. Theo brings his hands up and covers Scott’s with his own, giving a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Theo tells him.

Scott is silent for a moment, and Theo almost thinks he’s going to take him up on his offer. But then his speaks, his voice quiet, “I did. I didn’t understand what I was seeing back then. I thought it was just a nightmare. A constant recurring one meant to make me feel guilty for what I let happen.”

It’s Theo’s turn to tense, but he quickly releases a shuddering breath. “You saw her.”

“I did,” Scott says, “I saw her ripping your heart out over and over again. I saw you letting it happen.”

“Because it’s hers,” Theo whispers, “She deserved to have it back.”

Scott is on him so fast that Theo lets out a surprised “oomph” when his back hits the cold ground. Scott’s eyes are blazing red as he stares down at Theo. His hand comes to rest over Theo’s heart as his face moves until it’s just over Theo’s, his red eyes boring into Theo’s own green blue ones.

“This is your heart,” Scott says, his voice low and dangerous and leaving no room for argument, “ _Yours_. I know how you got it. I know you feel guilty for it, but it is _yours_ now. It’s beating in your chest. It belongs to you, and to _me_. So don’t for one second think you don’t deserve to have it, do you hear me?”

“I hear you,” Theo says, “I do Scott.”

“Good.”

Then Scott is kissing him, hard and demanding, his lips and his body splintering Theo apart in the best possible way.

He’s not surprised when they wake up plastered together again, a hot and sticky mess. Not after the dream they shared.

***

It’s on the 1 year mark of them getting together that they claim each other. Theo’s been ready for a while but he knows Scott wants to do things right and not jump into things. Theo gets it. It’s a big step, one that shouldn’t be entered into lightly. But he knows he wants Scott to be his forever and he wants to be Scott’s.

“I love you so much,” Scott murmurs, placing soft, barely there kisses against his skin, leading a trail across his throat. He stops, his hot breath fanning lightly across the mark that now stands out on Theo’s skin, just above his collarbone. Then he’s licking and sucking at the mark and Theo as to bring his hands up to grip Scot’s shoulders as he writhes in pleasure. Scott gives a pleased rumble, placing a kiss to the mark.

“Does it feel good?” Scott asks.

“Yeah,” Theo sighs, looking down at him with dark eyes, “I can show you.”

Scott grins and lifts his head, bringing their faces level, “I was hoping you would.”

Theo expects their dreams and their life to be different after that, but it’s really not. They’re still Scott and Theo. They still love each other and take care of each other but now it’s just with an added intensity. There’s always this thrumming beneath his skin, an awareness when it comes to Scott. It’s nice, a reassurance that Scott is there.

He looks over at where Scott is talking to Stiles and smiles. It’s been nice having them all back in town together, even if it is temporarily. He knows Scott’s been missing his best friend. And honestly, Theo’s pretty happy to have Derek back in town. He’s one of the people Theo has grown closest to, besides Scott and Liam.

Unlike them, Derek never had any reason to look at him like he was a monster. He knew what happened but chose to hear Theo out and decide for himself how he felt. It was the first time someone had really given Theo a chance. Sure, the pack had eventually let him back in but it had been shaky at best to start off. Even with Scott, no matter how good things might be between them now, had taken a little bit to warm up to him. He just happened to come around faster than the others.

“I bet you never thought you’d wind up here,” Derek says, knocking their shoulders together.

Theo smiles up at him, doing the same to Derek, his eyes moving to Stiles before looking back at Derek. “I bet you didn’t either.”

“No,” Derek says, his eyes drifting over to Stiles, a soft smile appearing on his face. “But I’m glad it did. For both of us.”

“Me too,” Theo says, “You deserve to be happy Der.”

Derek looks back at him, his expression earnest, “So do you.”

“Well I am definitely am,” Theo grins.

He looks over to see Scott’s eyes on him. When Scott notices him looking he smiles, one of the soft smiles meant just for Theo, before turning back to Stiles.

_Yeah I’m definitely happy._

***

Theo’s nightmares are different from his dreams. When he dreams with Scott now he knows it’s real, but with his nightmares things are often distorted. He knows they’re real in their own way even while certain aspects might not be.

The main difference from his dreams is that in his nightmares Scott is never there. Theo’s relieved the first time he has a nightmare after getting with Scott and realizes he’s alone. Scott’s not there. He’s just trapped in his old nightmare. Scott tells him after waking him that he’d been worried when Theo hadn’t immediately joined him in the dream and had made himself wake up, worried that something had happened. It hadn’t. Theo just hadn’t joined him where he should have.

Sometimes he’ll go from being in the dream with Scott into a nightmare. He can’t imagine what that must be like for Scott, to have him in his arms and be talking to him one moment and then Theo just be gone the next. It doesn’t happen often. His nightmares are getting rarer and rarer. He knows that’s thanks to Scott.

Right now they’re lying in bed, wrapped up in each other’s arms as a movie plays on the TV. Theo’s barely watching it, his attention more focused on Scott and how he’s reacting to the movie. He watches as a wide smile appears on Scott’s face and turns to the TV just in time to see Baby and Johnny doing the lift in Dirty Dancing. Theo long ago accepted that it’s one of Scott’s favorite movies. He thinks it has a little bit to do with Melissa and the fact that they used to watch it together.

Theo yawns, hiding his face in Scott’s hair. Scott’s body starts shaking with silent laughter as his fingers trail across Theo’s arm. “Tired?’” Scott asks, stifling his own yawn in his arm.

Theo smiles, “Yeah, and from the looks of it you are too.”

“I have been,” Scott tells him, “I just wanted to see the end of the movie.”

“Scott you’ve seen it a million times before,” Theo points out, “You know what happens.”

“Yeah but it’s still one of the best parts,” Scott tells him. “Tell me it’s not.”

Theo holds Scott tighter, breathing in his comforting scent, “It is a good part.”

“I’ll blame your use of good instead of amazing on the fact that you’re half asleep,” Scott mumbles, snuggling in closer to him, and sighing when Theo’s nails rake against his scalp.

“Yeah we can go with that,” Theo yawns. “Whatever makes you feel better.”

“We could do the lift,” Scott says.

Theo blinks, sure he’d misunderstood but when he looks down Scott is watching him, face expectant. “Would you be Baby or Johnny?”

“Oh you’re definitely my Johnny,” Scott says, one of his hands trailing up to Theo’s bicep and squeezing, “And these arms could totally lift me.”

“Let’s not try it in the dream,” Theo says. “The last thing we need is to try to do it in the dream and our bodies doing it out here and one of us breaking our neck.”

Scott shakes his head, a fond smile on his face. “We’d obviously have to try it in the water first”

“Obviously,” he kisses Scott softly, “I love you, but now it’s time to sleep.”

“I love you too,” Scott places a kiss to the corner of his jaw. “I’ll see you soon.”

Theo just smiles and relaxes against the pillows as Scott snuggles in closer to him, nuzzling into his neck a moment before settling in. He’s used to Scot telling him he’ll see him soon. It’s become their version of goodnight, since both know they’ll be seeing each other in their dreams. It’s become an expected thing by now, something they both look forward to. Theo closes his eyes, waiting for sleep to take him, knowing that soon he’ll be with Scott, off wherever their dream world takes them.

***

Theo’s in the dark again. He know this place. He’s been here often. It just hasn’t been for a while. He honestly hoped he’d never see this place again, but he’s not really surprised. He’s been happy. He’s been able to move past things, to move on, to forget. She doesn’t like that. That’s made abundantly clear by the fact that he’s once again in the morgue, staring down his sister.

Theo sighs, “I know what today is Tara.”

She doesn’t say anything, just cocks her head as she stares at him, slowly advancing towards him. He’s glad that Scott isn’t here. He doesn’t need to see what’s about to happen. Theo takes a step back. He’s not sure if he wants to run or just let her have her way. She’s going to get him no matter what. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.

“I’m going to get him too,” Tara says, surprising Theo by her words. “Your Scott.”

Theo’s eyes snap open and fall on her. She’s stopped a few feet away and he can see a twisted smirk on her face as she stares at him. This is different. Usually she just takes his heart while calling his name. She’s never talked to him like this. And now she is…

Theo growls, “You’re not going to get anywhere near him.”

“Oh Theo,” Tara says, her voice sickly sweet. “Don’t you remember how this works? I _am_ near him.”

Theo feels his breath leave him as his heart thuds in his chest, _her_ heart. She smirks as if she knows where his head went. Theo fights the urge to look around. Scott isn’t in here. He’s not. He’s in their dream. He’s safe.

“Theo?” Scott’s voice penetrates through his haze. Theo wants to reach for it but he can’t get there. He’s too trapped in his fear. His fear that all of his mistakes are going to come back and not just hurt him but Scott as well.

“He wants you,” Tara says. “He wants to help. Maybe you should let him in. Introduce us.”

“No,” Theo says. “This has nothing to do with him. It’s me you’re mad at, and with good reason. But you’re going to leave him out of this.”

“Oh I could,” Tara says, “But maybe he doesn’t want to be left out of it.”

Theo shakes his head, “It doesn’t matter. He’s not getting dragged into this nightmare. And us? We’re ending this here. Now.”

“Is that so?” Tara says, stepping closer to Theo. “How do you plan to end it little brother? Are you going to kill me again?”

“If I have to,” Theo grits out.

“ _Theo?_ Theo come. Wake up.”

Theo squares his shoulders. He can feel the stirring that usually comes before he wakes up. But he knows this has to end. He has to face Tara if he wants to be able to move on and be with Scott. His claws come out as he walks closer to Tara. She watches him closely but doesn’t move.

“I am sorry,” Theo says, “For everything. For what I did to you. But I know this isn’t really you. This is just some twisted version of you my mind has made up to haunt me. But no more. I’m done. Goodbye Tara.”

Theo’s hand shoots out and into her chest before she can react. He’s surprised when all she does is give him that same a twisted smirk, “I told you I’d get him.”

Theo doesn’t understand what she means, at least not until his fog starts lifting and he can hear Scott whispering his name. A sharp pain goes through him causing him to gasp and grip his chest as he looks up at Tara.

“I imagine I’ll be seeing you sooner than you think,” Tara tells him.

Theo’s eyes snap open to be met with Scott’s red ones. He’s hovering over Theo, a hand on his neck while the other holds his arm. The arm that seems to be buried in something wet and warm. Theo knows before he looks what’s happened. He doesn’t want to look. He doesn’t want to see it. But he makes himself. His eyes drift down and land on where his hand is impaled in Scott’s chest. His hand is around Scott’s heart. He can hear it, can _feel_ it, pumping slowly, nowhere near as strong as it should be.

“No,” Theo whispers, shaking his head. “No this isn’t real. This is Tara. This isn’t…”

“Theo,” Scott says, his voice soft as he brings his hand up to Theo’s cheek, wiping away the tears as they fall. “It is real. You were dreaming and I tried to wake you and…”

“I was getting rid of her,” Theo whispers, tears falling freely now. “I was ending it so that I could get away from her and we could be happy without her hanging over our heads. I don’t understand.”

Scott gives him a sad smile, “You were too deep for me to get to you.”

Scott’s heart is slowing by the second, and Theo starts to panic. “Scott there has be something. I can move my hand and then…”

“No,” Scott says, grabbing his arm to hold him steady. “I need… I need you to keep pressure on it, just for a bit. If you let go...” Scott takes a deep breath, “just don’t let go.”

“I’m so sorry,” Theo says, his voice catching on the words. “I’m sorry Scott. This should be me. I can’t… please tell me what to do. I can’t lose you.”

Scott gives him a sad smile, his fingers brushing across his cheek. “Just kiss me.”

Theo does. He can taste the salt of both of their tears in the kiss and the faint trace of blood. It’s deep and slow and full of longing. It feels like a goodbye.

“I love you,” Scott murmurs against his lips, “So much Theo. You’ve made me so happy.”

“Not as happy as you’ve made me,” Theo tells him. “And you’re going to continue to make me happy, okay? We’re going to fix this.”

“Theo,” Scott says, just that one word sounding like it’s taking him a lot of effort. “It’s too late. But it’s… this isn’t your fault.”

Theo lets out a bitter laugh, “My hand currently being wrapped around your heart says otherwise Scott.”

“You weren’t yourself,” Scott tells him, his head coming to rest against Theo’s, as if he no longer has the strength to hold it up. “I know that. I don’t want to spend my last moments arguing with you. I just…” he groans, closing his eyes as pain takes over. A pain Theo himself can feel deep in his bones. He wants to take it. Wants to fix this. But the realization that he can’t is settling over him like a weight, almost suffocating him.

“I love you Scott,” Theo whispers, kissing his lips, “I love you so much.”

Scott sighs, brushing their cheeks together, “I love you too, Theo. I’ll see you in our dreams.”

Theo releases a wet sob. He wants to believe that. He does. He kisses Scott, both feeling and hearing the moment Scott’s heart stops beating. He squeezes it, trying to get it pumping again, but to no avail.

The howl Theo gives is full of pain and longing and despair. He cries and clutches Scott’s body close to him, his heart still in his hand. Even now he’s afraid to let go. Both figuratively and literally. He sobs, burying his face in Scott’s neck, placing his lips over where his mark is. He’s always heard losing a mate more painful than anything else, and the pain of it could often drive people crazy. Now he believes it. He just wishes he hadn’t had to see for himself.

“Please Scott,” Theo sobs, “Wake up.”

He pulls back, looking down at Scott’s face. His eyes are closed and he looks peaceful, as if he’s simply sleeping. _Sleeping._

 _‘I’ll see you in our dreams_.”

He needs to sleep. If he can sleep then he can see Scott then. He can get to Scott and tell him that he just needs to wake up. Or if need be he can just stay in the dream with Scott. Theo closes his eyes, trying to get sleep to come. It doesn’t. If he won’t fall asleep he’s just going to have to make himself then. He looks over towards the table at the lamp. It might be a bit drastic but he’s desperate. He needs to talk to Scott. He grabs the lamp, all but yanking it from the wall and raises his head. Taking a deep breath, he brings the lamp down hard. It makes his vision blur and there’s pain but not enough to knock him out. Harder then. He does it again, this time using as much force as he can, feeling himself fall back against the pillows as his eyes drift closed.

When he opens his eyes he’s in his room. He looks around, hoping to see Scott somewhere but the room is empty.

“Scott?” Theo calls, “Scotty? Are you here?”

Theo’s only met with silence. There’s no one here. Just him. He leaves the room, searching the house and calling for Scott. Each room coming up empty. He can feel himself starting to panic now. He finds himself back outside the door to his room.

He pauses, sure that he’d left the door open when he’d ran out. His hand shakes as he brings it up to the door handle, feeling like this is the moment. He’s going to open the door and Scott is going to be lying on his bed waiting for him like he always is. He’s going to smile and pull Theo close and kiss him. They’re going to travel to one of their favorite places and make love under the stars. He’s going to have his mate safe and alive and with him in his arms.

He slowly opens the door, a smile forming on his face, only to fall when he’s once again met with empty room. Scott’s not here.

 _He never will be again,_ he thinks, gripping the door frame tightly, _you killed him. His heart is still in your hands. He’s gone._

Theo falls to his knees, putting his head in his hands as he sobs. His body shakes and the sounds coming from his throat are more animal than human. He’d fooled himself. Let himself hope that he’d see Scott here.

Now he’s sure that the false hope of a dream is more painful than waking up from a nightmare. Hope is a dangerous thing, especially when it’s taken away, leaving someone on the last shreds of their sanity. Theo’s breathing heavily as he stands up. He makes his way towards the bed and lays down. He needs to see Scott, alive or dead. He needs his mate.

_Wake up. Wake up Theo. WAKE UP!_

His eyes snap open and he once again finds himself in his bed, Scott’s body in his arms. He closes his eyes, burying his face in Scott’s hair. He knows what he has to do. He knew the moment that he realized Scott was dying that he wouldn’t be able to live without him.

His mind drifts to Melissa and guilt washes over him. She’s lost her son. She’s going to be the one that has to find them like this. But she doesn’t have to be alone.

Theo picks up his phone with the hand that’s not currently around Scott’s heart and types out a text to Liam. He hates that he has to tell him like this, but he needs him to get here before Melissa gets home from work.

“Scott’s dead,” he tells him, “It as an accident Liam. I… god it was. But he’s gone. And I can’t do this. I need you to get here, at least so Melissa has someone. I’m sorry.”

Theo closes his eyes as he gathers himself. He knows what he has to do but that doesn’t mean he likes it. He opens his eyes again, keeping them on Scott as he raises his hand, letting his claws drop, before driving it into his own chest. He cries out, the pain of it making his vision blur. He has a moment to wonder how Scott had managed this. How he’d been able to deal with the pain and hold on as long as he had.

_He’d wanted to. For you._

He has no reason to hold on through, to suffer this. To endure. His reason for existing is dead in his arms. All he wants is to see him again but he doubts he’ll even get that, not after everything he’s done.

 _It’s a fitting end,_ he thinks. The heart was never meant to be his to begin with. It should have stopped beating when she died. Not been used as carelessly as he had. _Except when it came to Scott_. Theo looks down at Scott, taking in how at peace he looks. He wonders if he’ll look like that. He rests his head against Scott’s, squeezing his heart harder and crying out at the pain of it. It hurts but he just wants this to be over. Thinking this, he shifts his hand, driving his claws into his slowly beating heart. He cries out, his vision blurring.

“Theo?” Liam’s frenzied voice calls from downstairs.

Theo doesn’t have the strength to call back. He can feel himself fading. He moves his head, placing a kiss to the corner of Scott’s mouth, “I love you.”

His eyes flutter closed, barely registering the sound of Liam’s screams and hands on his face, begging him to stay. He hears Melissa crying Scott’s name and then her hands on his neck, checking his pulse. They’re both telling him to hold on. Theo can’t. He won’t. Everything is starting to fall away now. He can see Scott’s grinning face and a hand beckoning forward, and he reaches out, letting himself hope one last time.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/Comments make my day. ♥  
> [My tumblr](http://tabbytabbytabby.tumblr.com/)


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